Ohio Drops Front License Plate Requirement

Ohio drivers are no longer required by law to have license plates on the front of cars. The change ends a long debate over the use of front plates.

Law enforcement groups fought to keep the front license plate requirement, saying it helped officers with investigations.

Opponents argued front plates are unnecessary and cost the state about $1.4 million to manufacture.

Alicia Reece, a former Democratic state representative who is running for Hamilton County commissioner, is a vocal opponent of the front license plate, pointing to studies that say the requirement of a front license plate leads to racial profiling in traffic stops.

"Upscale neighborhoods and upscale cars. Most upscale cars did not come with a front license plate when you buy the car so it was disproportionately administered, it was subjective," said Reece.

The issue garnered national attention when Sam DuBose, an unarmed black man, was pulled over for not having a front license plate by Ray Tensing, a University of Cincinnati police officer. Tensing shot and killed DuBose during the traffic stop.

Reece said the anti-racism demonstrations are calling for what she calls "real change" in laws that end up disproportionately impacting black people. State Rep. Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati) agrees that eliminating the front license plate requirement works to that goal.

"It's one less reason to be pulled over and when we talk about doing something that makes sense, this was something," Denson said.

The elimination of the front license plate requirement was added to the transportation budget in 2019, going into effect this year on July 1.

Ohio joins Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky as states that do not require a front license plate.

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